Letter: Corinna Township Board endorses three candidates

Published October 25, 2012 at 1:36 pm

To the editor:

Wright County citizens have an opportunity for a new direction from “business as usual” with respect to Wright County Commissioners election on Nov. 6. The Corinna Township Board of Supervisors asks your support for three highly qualified candidates, District 1, Fred Naaktgeboren; District 2, Rose Thelen and District 5, Leonard Wozniak.
These individuals will bring positive, independent thinking back to government with open dialogue/debate, not backroom deals with pre-planned outcomes. They will bring back customer friendly services to the citizens of the county, respect to the county employees, while holding county administrators accountable for their departments. Listening, seeking ideas or information and opinions from others, before coming to their own conclusion on issues to be decided are qualities they possess.
These candidates will seek good advice and council, putting an end to the cycle of county litigation, and being on the losing side of it.
District 1-Fred Naaktgeboren: He grew up on the family farm in Corinna Township, worked in education, and became a small business owner. Naaktgeboren believed in civic community involvement, which led him to serving many years on the Buffalo City Council, and ultimately Mayor of Buffalo. Naaktgeboren led Buffalo through a heavy growth era, with many infrastructure improvements, while keeping Buffalo’s tax rate one of the lowest in the Wright County. Naaktgeboren’s dedication and ability to work with all agencies or other units of government was thoroughly appreciated.
District 2-Rose Thelen: Her time with Clearwater Township, and then as County Commissioner has proven she approaches the job with quality leadership skills that her current District 1 has not seen for a long time. Thelen listens, seeks information from all sides of an issue, and readily discusses all options. Corinna Township found her to be a “breath of fresh air,” whether we agreed or not with her on a county policy, we could count on her to meet and debate merits of every issue or decision. Thelen highlighted concerns with the Wright County budgeting process in a Sept. 20 Wright County Journal-Press funding article.
District 5-Leonard Wozniak: Wozniak is a good fit for a largely rural district, with his lifetime of farming, agribusiness and small business background. He has dedicated many years to public service on the Stockholm Township Board, and has more than 20 years of service chairing their Planning and Zoning Board. Wozniak would work for a unified planning effort between county, city, and township government.

Richard NaaktgeborenMaple Lake

Editor’s Note: Naaktgeboren is chairman of the Corinna Township Board of Supervisors. This letter was also signed by Chuck Carlson and John Dearing.